Secure sibling

Jeff Kaley

WAURIKA — If he’d been born first, Levi Henderson would still find it hard to escape being known as “Matt’s little brother.”

The youngest son of Amanda Allred and Greg Henderson is a stout physical specimen — 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, solid upper body, well-muscled trunk and legs.

But when your brother is 6-9, 250 pounds, even if he were the older of the Henderson siblings, Levi would still be Matt’s “little” brother.

Levi Henderson can live with that — nothing he can do about the physical difference between the two. The younger of the two siblings can also live with the idea that he’s often been compared to Matt when it comes to being an athlete at Waurika.

Matt Henderson was a multi-sport standout at WHS before graduating in 2008; a basketball star who averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding for his career; an end and lineman in football; a three-time state-qualifier in track; an all-conference pitcher and first baseman in baseball; and a starter on the golf team.

The older of the Henderson Boys left big shoes, both physically and in athletic production.

But “Matt’s brother” is comfortable about his place in Waurika sports. Levi has emulated his brother, but he’s also been able to create his own shadow as a multi-sport athlete. And besides, big brother helped little brother become an Eagle of note.

“I’ve always just played my own role in every sport,” said Levi Henderson. “I’ve tried to one-up Matt, but that’s pretty hard do to in basketball, because he was a 6-9 all-stater.

“I did get him in baseball, though. He batted .563 his senior year and I batted .565 last year, so I get to rub that in his face!”

The younger Henderson appreciates that his brother played a role in developing some of the skills and traits Levi’s displayed in four years at WHS.

“Matt taught me a lot and he’s always tried to make me better in every sport,” Levi said. “Having him as a brother made me compete harder, and I think playing against him and his friends when I was younger always put me a step ahead of some other guys.”

Henderson smiled and added, “I guess getting beat up by (Matt) made me tougher and stronger!”

There have been other influences within the family that have kept Henderson from becoming complacent.

Entering the stretch run of a career as an Eagle basketball player, he’s averaging 17 points and about 12 rebounds an outing. However, Henderson said, “My mom said she didn’t think I’ve been rebounding as much as I used to, so I had a little bet with her and went out and got 16 rebounds and 21 points against Ringling (on Feb. 2).”

A cinch to be selected for several post-season basketball honors, Henderson has already put together a trophy case that isn’t dwarfed by his brothers accumulation.

In football, although his freshman season was cut short by a broken leg, he’s been on The Duncan Banner’s All-Area Football team three years and was the All-District A-4 first team at the end of the 2009 season.

A four-year starter in basketball, he was The Banner’s Area Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore and figures to win a third All-Area nod at the end of the current season. When spring arrives, Henderson will shoot for a second All-Area baseball award and he should be among the top high school catchers in southern Oklahoma.

“But the best thing about Levi,” said Larry VanBeber, “is that he’s here every day and he gives you everything he’s got. If we just had two or three more Levi’s — whew, we’d really be set.”

VanBeber has been Henderson’s head football coach, and a basketball assistant the last two years. After being baseball assistant in 2009, VanBeber will be Henderson’s head coach this spring.

“I’m a Levi fan, and any other coach would be, too, if he spent any time around Levi at all,” he said. “In football, Levi has a lot of ability as a runner and a linebacker, and he’s naturally strong, even through he hasn’t been able to spend as much time in the weight room because of all the sports he plays.

“In football, he had to play the half of last season with his right arm in a cast because he broke his thumb, but there were never any complaints, never any excuses.

“He’s definitely been our best player in basketball this year, and he takes a beating because everybody we play knows that.

“Levi’s one of the best athletes I’ve been around, because he has a real athletic attitude. You can always count on him. He’s the kind of athlete any coach would want on their team.

“And in baseball, he’s an above-average catcher, even though he’s only playing two months out of the year. If he was able to work on it full time, there’s no telling what he could do baseball-wise.”

Entering the final months of his prep career, Henderson wonders how he might have fared at a larger school where not all of the best athletes are expected to play every sport. He’s also wondering if there will be an opportunity to test himself at the next level.

Football and baseball are his favorite sports. “I mainly play basketball because I’m expected to and my family is big into basketball,” he noted.

“If I’d gone to a bigger high school, I might have focused more on playing just on one side in football and I probably wouldn’t have played basketball.”

Looking ahead, Henderson said, “I want to play a college sport and see what I can do if all I have to worry about is one sport. It could be football or baseball.

“Coach VanBeber has sent football tapes out to some schools, and something might happen with baseball after this season.

“I can already qualify with my GPA (grade point average), and even though I screwed up taking the ACT earlier but I took it (this past) Saturday.

“It might help me to go to a junior college at the start, but I’d like to find out if I could play in college.”

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